


Ceremonies and souvenirs...

by zazajb



Series: Captain Coat & Coffee Man [9]
Category: Torchwood
Genre: AU, Captain Coat & Coffee Man, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-04-16
Updated: 2014-01-20
Packaged: 2018-01-09 11:02:53
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 15,313
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1145200
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zazajb/pseuds/zazajb
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Story 9 in Captain Coat & Coffee Man verse  <br/>A surge in the number of missing people prompts Torchwood to investigate... </p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Title: Ceremonies and souvenirs... Pt 1  
Author: zazajb  
Rating: NC-17, adult concepts, occasional language, M/M  
Pairings/Characters: Jack/Ianto, team, Brychan, Ammeline  
Spoilers – none, set S2, AU  
Summary:  A surge in the number of missing people prompts Torchwood to investigate... 

Fic masterlist:  [ http://zazajb.livejournal.com/6286.html ](http://zazajb.livejournal.com/6286.html)

Disclaimer: I own none of the characters – anything you recognise belongs to RTD & BBC, I’m just playing with them...  
Feature length episode of Captain Coat and Coffee Man written for the [](http://longliveianto.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://longliveianto.livejournal.com/)**longliveianto** </lj>big bang [Remember when there’s anything above a PG rating that you’re getting Jack’s x-rated version!!!]   
X-posted to several comms [apologies to those getting this multiple times]

A/N Thanks to the wonderful talented and awesome [](http://totally4ryo.livejournal.com/profile)[**totally4ryo**](http://totally4ryo.livejournal.com/) </lj>for her beautiful artwork*hugs* <http://totally4ryo.livejournal.com/185929.html#cutid1>  [why not check out her fic too, whilst you're there!]

As always,endless love, hugs and thanks for my beta the wonderful [](http://badly-knitted.livejournal.com/profile)[ **badly_knitted**](http://badly-knitted.livejournal.com/) </lj> [](http://badly-knitted.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://badly-knitted.livejournal.com/)**badly_knitted** </lj>*squishes you and bribes with strawberry laces*  
  
For [](http://bluelilacs.livejournal.com/profile)[**bluelilacs**](http://bluelilacs.livejournal.com/)</lj> enjoy hon xxx

  [](http://pics.livejournal.com/zazajb/pic/0000p4f4/)  
  
[](http://pics.livejournal.com/zazajb/pic/0000kwr5/)

  
  


** Ceremonies and souvenirs... **

** Part 1 **

Jack paused, his mouth hovering over Ianto’s sensitive flesh, hot breath teasing as he took a moment to gaze up at his beautiful Welshman. Ianto’s eyes were closed, cheeks flushed and hair dishevelled as his hips canted desperately off the bed and his hands twisted in the sheet.

A needy whimper escaped from between gloriously pink, kiss swollen lips, prompting a wicked grin to chase across Jack’s face – only _he_ got to see Ianto like this; the usually pristine, controlled Welshman open and debauched, totally free of responsibilities and lost in the throes of passion...

_J-a-c-k  p-l-e-a-s-e..._ Ianto’s thoughts flared in his head, the images hot and steamy and he suppressed a chuckle.

_ Patience, sweetheart...patience... _

Ianto’s response was cut off abruptly and he let out an audible gasp as Jack’s mouth closed over him and he was engulfed in the moist warmth, tongue and a light scraping of teeth sending him careering towards the precipice in moments.

Arching and writhing, Ianto lost himself in delicious sensation, Jack adding a stream of wanton thoughts that had him teetering on the edge and he tugged sharply on his Captain’s hair, _not yet! Want you in me...please, cariad..._

Waves of love caressed Jack’s mind and he smiled, releasing Ianto’s hot flesh, his own declarations of love weaving through his Welshman’s as he sent the emotions back on a continuous loop.

Moving swiftly back up Ianto’s body, he crushed their mouths together, their hands meeting to pass the small bottle from one to the other. As Jack’s tongue probed the contours of the young man’s mouth, one cool finger pressed into him and he sank back against it.  _Now, Jack...please..._ Ianto begged, his body screaming out for Jack’s touch, panting and convulsing as he felt a second finger, and finally a third, slide into him, hips bucking uncontrollably, every nerve ending responding to Jack’s touch, his breath coming in shuddering gasps. Waves of wild ecstasy rolled through him as Jack’s fingers brushed that magic spot...

He whimpered when the fingers were withdrawn, only to moan with satisfaction as Jack pushed into him, slowly...savouring the feeling of hot tight heat before he began to move and they soared together towards that ultimate release...waves building rapidly...

Ianto clutched at Jack’s hair and pulled his face close, claiming his lips roughly, biting down and feeling the twin sensations of pleasure and pain collide with shuddering passion as Jack reached for him, matching his pace to his hand strokes. 

He cried out against the older man’s mouth as spikes of desire raged through his body like bursts of wild fire on his heated skin, exquisite pleasure that was raw, electrifying and simply defied earthly description...

Jack thrust harder and faster as he felt his release building, spiralling towards that explosive climax, a hoarse cry echoing in their heads as they shuddered together in ecstasy and floated amongst the stars... 

Jack collapsed forwards, their breath ragged pants as they basked in a post-orgasmic glow, trembling in unison.  He brushed a stray lock of hair from Ianto’s forehead, gazing deeply into the young man’s eyes, before reaching for the wipes and cleaning them both up, settling back down, warm and secure.

He kissed Ianto tenderly, losing himself in the feel of the man in his arms. _Morning, sweetheart..._

  _Mmmmmmmnnn it is!_ Ianto’s thoughts were quietly incoherent, soft and endearingly dreamy.

Jack chuckled aloud and reached over to trace the outline of Ianto’s mouth, those perfect lips curving into a smile as the feather-light touch of Jack’s fingertip left his mouth tingling.

_ We need to shower...get dressed... _

_Mmmmnnn...in a minute...cosy here..._ Ianto snuggled closer and tightened his hold as Jack made a move to get up.

_ Okay, but only five minutes...unless you want Jacqui to catch you naked again? _

Ianto grinned, reaching up to tug Jack’s mouth down to his for a series of slow, lingering kisses as they shared the memory of their rather sensual session in the summer house. After a wild _Jack-led_ coupling they’d _almost_ dressed when a chance remark about stamina had resulted in Ianto ripping their clothes off  again to demonstrate in several pleasurable ways that _yes_ he did have damn good stamina _and_ an impressive repertoire of techniques to showcase it in!

This had left them both panting hard, bodies slick with sweat and some delicious sensations of having been very thoroughly loved! Ianto lay stretched out on the wooden floor of the summer house, his body tingling from head to toe as he savoured the warmth of the afterglow and the gentle waft of cool air from the open doorway on his heated skin. Jack sat up, out of sight of the door and was able to hurriedly tug his trousers and t-shirt back on when he heard the startled giggle from Jacqui as she took in the sight of a naked Ianto in all his glory.

Blushing furiously, the Welshman had grabbed the parasol from behind him and draped its folds carefully to cover his modesty _Jack! Quick, head the kids off! Bry’ll have a field day discussing this with Euan!_

“Very nice, Ianto! So that’s what you keep hidden under those suits...I’m going to have to look more closely in future..!” Jacqui teased, turning to go back towards the house where Ammeline was just coming out of the back door, Bry and Euan behind her. “Hey kids, Jack says why don’t you guys all hide and the one who stays hidden the longest without being found can choose where we go for lunch...” 

Happy shrieking followed this announcement and heavy footfalls thudded up the stairs as Bry and Euan went to hide.  Amme reached for Jacqui’s hand, “You hide too?” her huge blue eyes, so much like Ianto’s, looking up hopefully.

“Yea, me too! Let’s go in the cupboard under the stairs. I’ll just take my jacket off, okay?”

Amme nodded and waited patiently as Jacqui slipped her jacket off and scribbled a sneaky post-it to say where she was, leaving it stuck by the coffee machine. Smiling, she went to hide in the cupboard with the two year old...

Out in the summer house, Ianto had heaved a sigh of relief and discarded the parasol, melting into Jack’s embrace as the older man sank to the floor and hauled him in for a body-zinging snog... _love you..._

_ ...love you too, cariad... _

The memory faded with them walking hand in hand back towards the house...

Coming up for air, Ianto sighed happily, nodding as Jack flung the quilt aside and led him towards the shower where they washed each other from top to toe, sharing gentle kisses and loving touches, finally drying, dressing and heading downstairs.

Jack was whisking up the pancake batter and Ianto was grinding coffee beans when the door bell broke into a _trumpet voluntaire_ , announcing the return of their son in his usual enthusiastic _ring-the-bell-off-its-casing_ style.

Grinning, Ianto went to open the door. “Morning!” He accepted a hasty kiss as Bry flew past, raindrops flying in his wake, followed by an excited Euan who gasped a breathless “hello” before vanishing after his friend. Amme was more welcoming, the two year old toddling happily towards her Tad with arms outstretched. Ianto scooped her up and rubbed noses with her as she giggled, her beloved _Dagga_ gripped firmly in little fingers.

Jacqui followed the children in, their overnight bag slung over her shoulder. “Morning!” Ianto tugged her in for a one-armed hug with himself and Amme. “You don’t have to knock - could’ve used your key...”

Jacqui giggled and shook her head briefly, “Uh uh! I’m still recovering from the last time...those images are seared into my memory forever!” She grinned as a rather fetching blush rose over the Welshman’s cheeks and Jack’s mind re-supplied the very pictures they’d been reminiscing about earlier...

“Are you hot, Tadda?” Amme’s finger traced over Ianto’s rosy skin.

_Bloody hot..._ Jack’s thoughts streaming into his head were wild and wanton and kick-started a rugby scrum reaction in Ianto’s blood supply as it suddenly changed course and rushed southwards.

_Behave!_ Ianto chastised, smiling fondly after a brief exchange of steamy images.  Jacqui looked from one to the other as Jack appeared in the doorway, wondering again how they seemed to communicate without words...

The boys had disappeared upstairs, loud thuds and muffled shouts suggesting they were already immersed in one of their never-ending games of super heroes...

Jacqui followed Ianto into the kitchen to be hugged tightly in typical exuberant Jack fashion. He pressed a kiss to her cheek before releasing her to take his daughter from her Tad. Amme giggled delightedly as Jack threw her up in the air and spun her around, blond curls flying...

“How’s my girl?” he smiled as she snuggled into his neck. “Were you good for Jacqui?”

Amme nodded solemnly and the three adults chuckled.

Ianto moved back to his coffee machine to resume the creation of coffee magic as Jack passed Amme back to Jacqui. “You wanna help lay the table while Dadda makes the pancakes?”  

The kitchen was a flurry of activity as Jack cooked pancakes, Ianto created coffee and washed and sliced strawberries and Jacqui and Amme laid the table, adding a giant jug of orange juice, glasses and the maple syrup.

Everything ready, Jacqui went to tell the boys and Ianto settled Amme into her high chair with a plate of chopped pancake and strawberries and a beaker of juice. “Ta, Tadda...” she beamed happily at him and he felt the warmth of Jack’s thoughts nestled within his own as they both gazed lovingly at their beautiful daughter... _We’re so lucky..._

The quiet of the moment was shattered as Bry, in full Spiderman outfit, and Euan, equally impressive as Superman, complete with cape, charged into the room and took their places at the table. Jacqui followed them in and sat down, smiling her thanks as Ianto passed her a steaming mug of vanilla blend and a saucer with a quartered lemon on it for her pancakes, knowing she preferred them with lemon and sugar...

The boys piled their plates and made merry with the maple syrup, chattering loudly about their on-going game. 

_What’s wrong?_ Jack’s concern filled his head as Ianto looked around the table with a thoughtful expression on his face.

_Nothing’s wrong, cariad...just thinking how lucky we are to have such a beautiful family and friends..._ he streamed the conversation with Tosh and Owen from the previous evening into his Captain’s mind.

Owen had gaped and Tosh had squealed with delight when they’d asked them to take part in the ceremony...the four of them sharing a group hug that left even a usually snarky and carefully concealed softer-side Owen with tears in his eyes...

Jack reached across and slid his fingers between Ianto’s, bringing their now joined hands up to his lips to press a soft kiss to the Welshman’s knuckles, _I love you, Ianto Harkness-Jones...you have no idea just how much...you...Bry...Amme...our friends..._

_Love you too...so much..._ Leaning towards each other, their lips met in a brief but tender kiss, breaking apart with a grin as Bry made retching noises and Euan snorted with laughter.

“Ewww, dad, tad, do you have to? Euan, don’t look, they’re kissing again...they’re always kissing!” He sighed heavily, turning a serious and intense stare towards his friend’s mum. “Sometimes I wonder just how grown up they really are!”

The three adults stifled huge bursts of laughter that bubbled up at the six year old’s declaration. Jacqui’s shoulders shook with suppressed amusement and she concentrated on stirring her coffee.

Jack dragged his chair closer to Ianto’s and draped an arm around him, tugging the Welshman closer as he fixed his son with a stern stare. “I will always hug and kiss your tad, kiddo, it shows everyone just how much I love him, so live with it!”

Bry’s eye roll towards his friend was a perfect imitation of Ianto and Jack found himself grinning despite his best efforts to stay serious.

The next few minutes were filled with the sounds of cutlery clinking against china as everyone focused attention on their breakfast. Finally, plates empty and tummies pleasantly full, Jack and Ianto turned towards their son.

“Bry, why don’t you explain to Jacqui why you’ve invited her and Euan to breakfast today...”

Sitting up importantly, a miniature image of Jack, the six year old fixed his eyes firmly on his friend’s mum and cleared his throat. “At school we were doing RE and Mrs Farleigh asked if any of us were christened...”

“I am...aren’t I, mum?” Euan interjected, shrinking back under a fierce glare from Spiderman “...just saying!” he shrugged, suddenly older than his tender years.

“...lots of people _were_. Euan is and Rachael and Daisy and Ifan and Davey...” he paused dramatically, sending a withering glance towards his parents, “but... _I’m not..._ ” 

_ Our son is displeased with our parenting! _

_ Precocious little imp! He takes after you, Jack... _

_ Does not!  _

_ Says he, pouting – check out Bry’s pout as we speak... _

Father and son in perfect reflections of each other both gazed at Ianto, huge blue grey eyes filled with indignation. The Welshman hastily turned a chuckle into a cough and winked at Jacqui who was watching with amusement.

Bry leant forward and rested his elbows on the table “...so dad and tad said I could be christened if I wanted to be. And I do, so they told me about all the different ways to do it and I chose dad’s Boeshane way because it’s nice and Dad and Tad can renew their vows as well...” He turned to Euan, “it means they’ll do lots of kissing but we don’t have to look!” 

The three adults smiled as Euan nodded his understanding.

“So is that okay?” Bry looked hopefully at Jacqui, all pretence at being grown up gone now. “Will you be one of my protectors? Mine _and_ Amme’s in case anything happens to dad or tad?”

_ You realise that one day we’ll have to tell him that we can’t die... _

_ You can’t...we don’t really know about me... _

_ I’m still not letting Owen shoot you... _

Jacqui reached out and squeezed Bry’s hand, “I would be honoured, Brychan, what do I have to do?”

“Say a bunch of words and stuff and give us a candle... Dad, can you tell her...please?” Puppy dog eyes came into play, drawing a fond chuckle from his parents.

Jack ruffled Bry’s hair, “We’ll sort it out with Jacqui and Tosh and Owen...you two go and finish your game and we’ll shout when it’s time to get ready for library story time...”

“Thanks, dad...” He turned to Euan and grinned, “Your mum’s cool...race you upstairs?”

Chairs rocked as two superheroes charged from the room, Superman returning briefly to say thank you for his pancakes before he was gone again in a swirl of cape.

Jacqui and Jack cleared the table while Ianto made them some fresh coffee, cleaned Amme’s face and sticky fingers with a baby wipe and set her down from her high chair. Once free, she clambered up on to Jacqui’s lap and was soon immersed in a wooden puzzle, trying to fit the animal shapes back into their slots, her tongue poking out the side of her mouth as she tilted her head to one side, deep in concentration in a manner very reminiscent of her tad. Watching her, Jack’s heart melted a little more...

Coffee duly handed out, Ianto joined Jack, Jacqui and Amme back at the table.  Jack leant over in his chair and linked his and Ianto’s hands together. “We asked the children who they would want to stay with if anything ever happened to us. They chose you and our colleagues – and friends – Tosh and Owen.

Now where I’m from, Boeshane – tiny place, far away from here - we were a small, close-knit community, all looking out for each other, and each other’s children. Many hundreds of years ago when the community was under threat from invasion and war, the village elders came up with a simple ceremony to allow the children to choose three other adults they would be happy to stay with if anything happened to their parents...” He grimaced lightly before continuing, “It all sounds pretty extreme, but it wasn’t quite so funny when they lost over fifty percent of their men in the First World War... By making it a ceremony, it became an accepted part of our culture and as children we all felt protected with the added benefit of peace of mind for our parents.   

Bry and Amme both chose you as the person they’d most like to be with and Ianto and I would be honoured for you to be their _Esterni..._ their number one protector and carer if...” 

“It’s my pleasure...” Jacqui paused, her voice dropping to a whisper, “but let’s plan on not using it, yeah?”

Both Jack and Ianto reached out simultaneously to squeeze her clasped hands that were resting on the table.

“We’ll do our best...promise!” 

“Good!” Jacqui blinked back sudden tears, choking a little as she added, “because who else’ll make my coffee like this…?” Sighing dreamily she drained her mug and held it out, “Perhaps I’d better have a refill now...just in case! She grinned and the mood lightened from one tinged with sadness to one of love and fondness.

Ianto made them all fresh mugs and Jack explained the simple ceremony. “We’ll also be renewing our vows at the same time...” he leant forward to capture the Welshman’s lips tenderly and the two men sank into the embrace, hands cupping faces and threading lovingly through hair as the world around them slipped away...

Finally coming up for air they grinned somewhat breathlessly as they caught Jacqui’s amused smile. “Sorry, I always get carried away when I’m kissing him – must be those Welsh vowels and that cute smile and all those other...”

Jacqui laughed as Ianto blushed and gave Jack a shove to shut him up. 

“Don’t mind me, I enjoyed the view!” Ianto groaned comically and buried his face in his hands, looking up again hurriedly as Amme whimpered.

“Tadda? Tadda hurting?”

“No, sweetheart, Tadda’s fine!” He reached across and picked her up, standing her on his knees as she snuggled her face into his neck and curled her fingers into his hair. He breathed in the sweet fragrance of their daughter as he felt Jack’s love wash over him and he caressed the sentiment before sending it back. Jack leant in closer and rested his head on Ianto’s other shoulder, the image so totally heart-warming Jacqui couldn’t resist capturing it on her phone, forwarding the picture to both Jack and Ianto’s own mobiles.

A contented silence filled the air as each followed their own thoughts, Jack and Ianto’s linked minds swirling without conscious direction as image after image of their family and friends scrolled past, memories both good and bad re-lived in a moment...

The peace was shattered by Jacqui’s phone ringing and they all jumped. Picking it up off the table, she answered it quickly and moved out to the hall as she spoke quietly to the person on the other end, giggles floating back into the kitchen.

_ Mysterious caller... _

_ A man friend? Or a woman? Or...oh the possibilities! _

_ Only you would think of aliens, Jack! _

Jacqui came back in, smiling.

“So who is he?”

“Jack!” Ianto shook his head as Jack twinkled at them both.

“Adam...” she blushed, “and he’s just a friend... He’s helping me with...” her colour deepened and she took a deep breath before continuing “...the design for my tattoo...”

“Really? Wow, so what’s he like? I mean, what’s the design like?” Good humoured laughter broke out and a lively discussion ensued until Ianto suddenly noticed the time and leapt up. 

“We need to get going for the library...” He arched an eyebrow at Jack, “You can continue your interrogation on the way and I’m sure we’ll know his inside leg measurement by the time the day’s over!” winking at Jacqui as she gathered the mugs from the table and took them to the sink.

Jack pouted, “I’m just making sure his intentions are honourable...” he grinned mischievously, “or are you _hoping_ they’re dishonourable?”

Jacqui gave him a slap on his denim clad backside as he moved past her, sticking her tongue out. “Wouldn’t you like to know!” She laughed again and danced out of the room to get the boys ready.

_ She likes him... _

_ Obviously! Good – it’s about time she had some fun, she’s too nice to be on her own... I hope she’ll be as happy as I am... _

_I love you, my gorgeous Welshman...do we really have to go out?_   A stream of hot and steamy images filled Ianto’s head and he gasped at the instant tightening in his trousers as Jack strode back from the doorway to grab a handful of t-shirt and haul him in for a desire-laden kiss, tongue coaxing the young man’s mouth open where it explored familiar territory with passionate intent and Ianto moaned softly against his lips, sinking into the embrace, his senses filled with everything that was _Jack..._

“Dad! Put Tad down and get ready!”

Pulling apart, Ianto turned glazed eyes towards his son in the doorway, hands planted on his hips as he did his best Owen impression, eyes narrowed in a fierce frown.

_ That’s twice today we’ve been told off! _

  _I think you’ll find that’s actually three times now, cariad! He gets more like you every day!_

_Are you saying I’m bossy?_ Jack was indignant, his expression melting into a wanton grin as Ianto reminded him of some rather strenuous and exciting bedtime games...

_ Wait ‘till I get you back home, sweetheart, and I’ll show you bossy! _

_ Promises! Now we really need to go or I’ll be late and it’ll take us a bit longer in this weather with you jumping in all the puddles..! _

They grinned at each other and moved towards the door. The boys and Amme were already bundled into coats and wellies and the pushchair was set up with raincover in place.  Jacqui opened the front door and shooed the boys out before manoeuvring the buggy down the step. Ianto grabbed Jack’s coat from the peg and held it out, his Captain slipping his arms into it and leaning into the touch as Ianto smoothed the heavy wool over his shoulders. It was a well-worn routine, intimate and familiar, that neither would ever tire of. With his Captain Coat suitably attired, Ianto slid into his own coat, followed Jack outside and locked up behind them.

The rain had stopped but it was wild and blustery and heavy grey clouds filled the sky, the ever-present threat of more relentless downpours. Bry and Euan ran on ahead, leaping into the puddles on the pavement with delighted shrieks of laughter as they splashed about. Jacqui pushed the empty pushchair whilst Jack and Ianto each took one of Amme’s hands and walked with her, landing her in puddles with a splash as she giggled and swinging her onwards in huge bounds every now and then so they kept up with the others. 

It started raining again as the library appeared in the distance. Quickly strapping Amme into her buggy and telling the boys to make a run for shelter, they hurried towards the building, arriving just before the heavens opened in force and they scurried thankfully into its welcoming lobby. Jacqui had already relieved the boys of their coats and sent them inside. She was helping Amme off with hers when an unexpected voice called her name and she stood up, a happy smile spreading over her face as the raven haired man approached.

“Adam, what are you doing here?”

_ He’s here... _

_Who’s here?_ Ianto had already headed inside to get ready, missing that dreamy look of new love on his friend’s face.

_ Adam...he’s cute! Black hair, deep blue eyes, pouting lips and a gorgeous arse in tight skinny jeans! _

_ Yeah? Make sure she brings him in... _

_ And for the record, yours is the only cute arse for me... _

_ Sweet-talker! _

_ Yeah, but you love me... _

_ You got me! Now get in here... _

Ianto settled into his chair and smiled at the expectant faces gazing up at him... The crowd was bigger yet again this week... _think we must have every kid this side of the border here today!_ He caught Jack’s eye as his Captain joined the throng making themselves comfortable and winked, caressing the gentle _love you_ before sending it back. Ammeline sat in Jack’s lap, _Dagga_ clutched in her fingers as she waited for the story to start. 

His gaze continued over the crowd, finding the second set of clear blue grey eyes as Bry grinned back at him, Euan at his side, and moving on until he found Jacqui stood at the side behind Miss Martin. The handsome, dark haired man next to her in snug fitting black jeans, black shirt and battered black leather jacket matched Jack’s description of Adam and he had to agree – the bloke was cute... Jack’s smirk washed over him and he grinned, sending a series of images guaranteed to have Jack wriggling on the floor as his trousers suddenly became too tight! 

The crowd settled and looked up at him expectantly as he took a breath in...

“Good morning children, mums and dads...thank you for battling through our wonderful Welsh weather today... Now, are you ready for another adventure with Captain Coat and Coffee Man..?” He grinned at the deafening roar of approval, “...then I’ll begin! It was a day very much like today – wet and windy and the kind of day where you stayed indoors and curled up in front of a DVD with a large mug of hot chocolate... _with marshmallows, whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles_...

“Jack..!”

Tosh called up towards the kitchen where the Captain was _helping_ Ianto make large mugs of frothy hot chocolate. With no response forthcoming, she skipped lightly up the stairs and pushed the door open, smiling fondly as the reason for the lack of reply became immediately apparent. Jack had the Welshman pinned up against the far wall, one of the young man’s hands was pressed above his head, a pot of chocolate sprinkles clasped in it, the other tangled in Jack’s hair as the older man caressed his cheek and kissed him into oblivion... For a few moments, Tosh just enjoyed the view – they were so hot together...

However, duty to Queen and Country reluctantly reasserted itself and she cleared her throat apologetically, smiling at a rather dazed and crumpled Ianto and a smug cat-that-got-the-cream Captain.

“Tosh...” Jack grinned at her as Ianto leant against him, trying to get his breath back – no-one kissed like Jack and he always felt like a teenage girl after her fist kiss; lips tingling, dizzy, weak at the knees, heartbeat dancing double time and definitely wanting more...

“Sorry to interrupt...” She chuckled at the endearing blush that crept over the young man’s cheeks as he panted softly.

“He...sprinkles...” his gasps were swallowed as Jack claimed his lips once more in a searing kiss and he was powerless to resist, melting against Jack’s reassuring warmth as his senses swam and he lost himself to the intoxicating sensation that was _Jack..._

After a thorough exploration of the Welshman’s mouth, complete with a sensual rumba of tongue on tongue, Jack pulled away gently, folding the young man tightly into his arms as he returned his attention to a broadly grinning Tosh. “He caught me sticking my finger into the chocolate sprinkles...” he offered by way of explanation, his blue grey eyes twinkling mischievously as one eyebrow arched suggestively.

Tosh giggled and shook her head, “I don’t want to know...although I’m sure the CCTV will make very interesting viewing! Anyway, I _am_ sorry to interrupt your sprinkle session...” She stifled a snort of laughter as Ianto groaned loudly and buried his face in Jack’s shoulder. “We’ve had a hit from that negative rift spike and the missing people reports you asked me to look for, but it looks like we’ve got a much bigger problem...”

Ianto blinked and shook his head minutely in an attempt to restart his Torchwood brain, a challenge made so much more difficult when every sense was still flooded with Jack’s fifty-first century pheromones and he was quietly grateful when his Captain pressed a soft kiss on the end of his button nose and moved away to the door.

“Get everyone in the boardroom and we’ll be there in a few minutes... _we will!_ ” He winked as Tosh giggled and started back down the steps. _Now where were we..?_ Gentle loving thoughts swept through Ianto’s mind as Jack streamed their rather enjoyable snogging session into his head and their blood supplies rerouted in eager anticipation.

Quashing a needy whimper, Ianto turned back to the interrupted hot chocolate creations and quickly finished them, shaking the chocolate sprinkles on as Jack watched him from where he leant in the doorway, the Captain’s throaty chuckle deepening when the sprinkles pot was clicked firmly shut and tossed in his direction.

After loading the mugs and sticky buns onto his tray, Ianto led the way to the boardroom with Jack following, doubly delighted as he enjoyed the delicious view of Ianto’s blue pinstriped wool-blend clad backside and stuck his finger into the captured pot of chocolate strands...

Once drinks were handed round and sticky buns claimed, Tosh took centre stage.

]

  
  



	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

>   A surge in the number of missing people prompts Torchwood to investigate... 

Title: Ceremonies and souvenirs... Pt 2  
Author: zazajb  
Rating: NC-17, adult concepts, occasional language, M/M  
Pairings/Characters: Jack/Ianto, team, Brychan, Ammeline  
Spoilers – none, set S2, AU  
Summary:  A surge in the number of missing people prompts Torchwood to investigate... 

Fic masterlist:  <http://zazajb.livejournal.com/6286.html>

Disclaimer: I own none of the characters – anything you recognise belongs to RTD & BBC, I’m just playing with them...  
Feature length episode of Captain Coat and Coffee Man written for the [](http://longliveianto.livejournal.com/profile)[**longliveianto**](http://longliveianto.livejournal.com/)  big bang  [Remember when there’s anything above a PG rating that you’re getting Jack’s x-rated version!!!]   
X-posted to several comms [apologies to those getting this multiple times]

A/N Thanks to the wonderful talented and awesome [](http://totally4ryo.livejournal.com/profile)[**totally4ryo**](http://totally4ryo.livejournal.com/) for her beautiful artwork*hugs* link to be added here:

As always, love, hugs and thanks for my beta the wonderful [](http://badly-knitted.livejournal.com/profile)[**badly_knitted**](http://badly-knitted.livejournal.com/)   *squishes you and bribes with strawberry laces*

[ ](http://pics.livejournal.com/zazajb/pic/0000kwr5/)

  
  


Ceremonies and Souvenirs  
  
Part 2 

Clicking on her PDA, Tosh loaded the big screen with an image of the negative rift spike they’d registered two days previously. Another tap on her tiny screen and the large image shrank, moving to the side as a large map of Cardiff and surrounding areas filled the vacated space.

“Okay, first we had the negative spike, meaning some poor soul has been taken by the rift and whilst we still can’t do anything about it, we can find out who and where, add it to our database and set up an alert in case they come back. Maybe one day we’ll have enough information to predict when these are going to happen so we can take preventative action...” She glanced around the table, minute nods from everyone confirming understanding so far.

“So, I hacked into the police computers to access their missing persons reports so I could identify our rift victim and _this_ is what I found...” She tapped her PDA and the map was populated with a mass of tiny green dots, scattered randomly over the area, a single red dot amongst the green standing out starkly. A further four green dots were clustered at the side. “Twenty seven missing person reports in Cardiff in the last three months... 

The red dot is our rift victim – Sally Elkins, twenty nine year old marketing consultant who was on the phone to her boss when she was taken. He just thought she’d lost the signal as she was driving to meet a client, only she never arrived and her car has also vanished. She was single and no family that I’ve been able to trace...”

“What about the four down the side?” Jack leant forward, worry etched on his face. 

“Those are reports filed in Cardiff for people who were only visiting – a student on a field trip, a salesman on a conference and two on holiday – not together...”

“So that’s thirty one people who’ve gone missing over the space of ninety days – thirty if we discount our rift victim...”

“I’m assuming you’ve checked for any other negative spikes...”

“Of course, first thing I did – and there’s nothing...these people just vanished and I have no explanation yet...

Jack steepled his fingers together ... _What do you think?_

_ I’ve got a bad feeling about this...nothing tangible but just a sense of unease... _

_Yeah, me too..._ He looked around the table at the serious faces of his team. “Ianto, you help Tosh to find every scrap of info about where these people were, trawl the CCTV...anything...” He paused as they nodded. “Gwen, you and Owen get out there and start talking to people. Use your contacts – see if Andy knows anything...”

“Great! Needle in a haystack job and we don’t even have the bloody haystack...” Owen was grumpy, “ _and_ it’s raining...” He bit back any further complaints after a positively ferocious glare from Tosh, slumping down into his chair in sulky contemplation of the job ahead.

Jack winked at Tosh as he swapped thoughts with Ianto…  _Our Toshi’s got Owen well and truly tamed!_

_ She has – now if I could just do the same with mine! _

_ Haha! _

Gwen frowned. “I’m surprised I’ve not heard from Andy if there’s a spate of missing people, especially after Jonah...” 

_ I remember that one...she did get quite an eyeful as I recall...my gorgeous Welshman, hot and horny with his hands down my pants... _

_ Stop it! And you invited her to join us! _

_ To play...only to play naked hide and seek... _

_ You cheated...you always cheat! _

_ Yeah, but you know you love it when you find me... _

_Stood in the middle of the hub is hardly hiding..._ Ianto quashed a moan as Jack streamed a flow of images from their games of hide and seek and he was glad he was sat down as his body reacted instantly, the wicked chuckle from his Captain echoing in his head.

“Good point...Tosh, any theories?” Jack swiftly tuned his head back to work mode.

“Not yet, they seem to be totally random – no connection between any of them...that we’ve found so far anyway...” 

Jack nodded, “Okay troops, let’s see what we can find out, and remember – anything suspicious, call it in – I can’t risk losing any of you...”

The team headed back to the main hub, planning their strategies as their voices faded into the distance. Jack watched Ianto as the young man collected the empty mugs and loaded them onto his tray. Ianto smiled softly, feeling the gaze and the intensity of the other man’s emotions as they washed through him.

_ Don’t know what I’d do if you were taken away from me... _

_ Not going to happen, cariad... _

_I hope not...just can’t shake this feeling..._ He reached out, capturing Ianto’s wrist as he stretched over for the last mug and used it to gently propel the Welshman towards him, tugging him into his lap and wrapping Ianto into a tight hug before pressing their mouths together in a hungry kiss.

Ianto sighed against Jack’s lips, his fingers threading through his Captain’s hair as he immersed himself in the moment, tongues duelling first in one mouth, then the other, until they ran out of air. Surfacing many minutes later, they rested foreheads together, panting as their merged thoughts swirled aimlessly and each took comfort in the other.

Without the need for words, Jack planted a light kiss on the end of Ianto’s nose and released his hold. As the Welshman slid elegantly off his lap and picked up his tray, their eyes met, love and desire smouldering deep within twin sets of blue, before they made their way back to join the others.

Gwen put the phone down as Jack slid down the stair rail and landed with a thud at the bottom. “Andy’s meeting us for coffee in about ten minutes. He said he’d bring any info he had on the cases with him but no-one’s linked them as anything suspicious.” She picked up her leather jacket and slipped it on, adding a scarf and pulling gloves out of her pocket, before turning to a surly looking Owen who was leaning on the railings overlooking autopsy. “Ready?”

Owen shrugged and peeled himself off the railings.

Jack grinned. “Okay, go charm lots of information from our tame PC...”

He chuckled as the medic slunk after Gwen and the roller door closed behind them. Moving quickly, he joined Tosh and Ianto at Tosh’s workstation. Ianto was peering at the screen as the rift readings for the last three months scrolled past. “Can you print that out, Tosh?”

“You got something?” Jack leant over, resting his chin on Ianto’s shoulder, drawing the Welshman closer as he slid his arms around his waist.

“Not sure...we were wondering if there were any minor peaks on the rift monitor – not the negative spikes we looked for, but maybe something has come through without triggering an alert...”

“It’s worth a look...” Jack pressed a soft kiss to Ianto’s neck and released him as the printout piled onto the floor. “I’ll look at that so you and Tosh can carry on here.” He gathered up the mass of paper and headed up the stairs. “I’ll be in my office and I’ll keep my comms open so shout if you find something...”

Silence fell over the hub as the three immersed themselves in their tasks, the sudden blaring of the rift alert making them jump. Tosh’s fingers flew over her keyboard as Jack’s voice sounded in her ear asking what it was. “Couple of weevils in Bute park...”

“Send Owen and Gwen...”

Andy was talking wistfully about his dreams of joining Torchwood when Tosh’s call came through and his face registered obvious disappointment as Owen and Gwen ran from the cafe, the file of meagre details on the missing people in Gwen’s hand, leaving him with half a mug of lukewarm coffee and the tab. He sighed heavily and headed up to the counter to pay...

“Thank you, my wonderful Toshi, for the rescue...God, that guy’s boring!” Owen panted as he ran after Gwen, weevil spray held at the ready.

“He’s okay, and he’s helped us on numerous occasions, so back off, Owen!” Gwen snarled over the open comm..

“Now, now children! Play nice and sort out those weevils...then get back here so we can see if there’s anything in that file...” Jack chided them gently as he slowly scanned the rift printout.

The two continued to squabble but Jack didn’t hear them, his attention suddenly focused on a tiny blip in the readings. He scanned the rest of the pages quickly and cursed silently.

“Tosh...can you get me a list of all the dates and times these people went missing and bring it to the big screen in the boardroom? Ianto, we’re gonna need more coffee...

Owen, Gwen, stop arguing and get your backsides back here as soon as...I think we’ve got a new alien on our patch...”

_ This is bad, isn’t it cariad? _

_ Could be...I hope I’m wrong, sweetheart. _

Fifteen minutes later they were back in their usual seats, fresh mugs of coffee and Tunnock’s teacakes in front of them as they squinted at the rift readouts on the big screen, trying to see what Jack was getting so worked up about.

“It’s barely a blip...are you sure?” Tosh was dubious, “We’ve seen these before with no sudden rush of missing persons...they’re just intermittent interruptions in the rift patterns...”

“Hear the man out, Toshi...” Owen leant forward, his head tilted to one side as he surveyed the readout, his mood restored by a change into dry clothes, good coffee, several gooey marshmallow teacakes and the successful capture of two weevils which they’d sprayed, tagged and sedated and dropped back in the sewers with satisfying efficiency...his new improved weevil formula was top notch – even if he did say so himself! He purred contentedly, prepared to follow his leader once more into the unknown...

_ Someone’s changed his tune from earlier... _

_ A coffee-placated Owen is a contented Owen...add some sweet treats and you get one fluffy-bunny medic... _

Jack snorted with laughter and attempted to disguise it as a cough as the others looked at him suspiciously ... _You wait ‘till I tell him you think he’s a fluffy bunny! Next time he’s being snarky..._

_ Don’t you dare, Jack! _

_ What’s it worth to keep quiet? _

The images of silk ties around wrists and tied to bedposts as he was very thoroughly loved flowing into his head changed Jack’s snorts into a low moan of longing and Owen’s relaxed expression shifted to one of annoyance as his eyes narrowed. “Oi, stop having conversations in your head – we don’t all speak immortal! Say it out loud so we can hear...”

_ Jack! _

“We were just wondering about how many different species there are out there who could control the rift for their own devices...it’s a frightening thought...” _You owe me big time, Mr Jones!_

_Later...let’s solve this mystery first, then I’ll tie you up until you’re begging for release..._ Ianto sent a smirk as Jack quashed a needy whimper.

“Is that what you think this is?” Gwen frowned, “How can you tell?”

“It might be nothing...” Jack nodded at Tosh, “Can you bring up the dates and times those people went missing?”

“Some of them are a bit vague, but this is what we’ve got...” She tapped her PDA and the lower half of the screen was filled with a mass of names, dates and times. “I’ve mapped it onto a timeline so we can see it...” Another click and the information spread across the screen.

“No obvious time frames or patterns...” Ianto leant forward, brow crinkled in thought, “Some of these dates and times look familiar...have you got the rift anomalies?”

Jack nodded and Tosh added another timeline below the missing persons data.

They all stared at the almost exact match of tiny blips to last known sightings of victims.

“Shit! Looks like we just found the haystack!” Owen swore with feeling. “So where do we go from here?”

“Gwen, anything in that file from Andy?”

“Nothing obvious – it’s all notes from the people who reported them missing...Sonia was dropping Eden off at nursery...Simon was supposed to be picking some stuff up for dinner but he didn’t come home...Mum was on her way to a Doctor’s appointment...” she read a few lines aloud, flicking through the sheets of paper.”

Absently twisting his wedding ring on his finger, Jack sat back in his chair, thoughts tumbling. “Okay, Gwen, can you input the information on those sheets – there might me something we’re missing when we analyse the whole lot. Tosh, can you see if you can isolate these blips – tough call I know, but whatever we can find...we might be lucky...

Owen and Ianto and I will trawl the CCTV to see if we can find any clues there...it’s not much to go on but it’s all we‘ve got...”

They made their way back to the main hub, Ianto stopping off at the kitchen to make a fresh round of coffee, before logging on to his computer to start searching for the list of names Tosh had given him. It was tedious and frustrating work and several hours crawled by with little progress, mumbled curses and mutterings interspersed with heavy sighs,  the only sounds as each plodded wearily onward...

A loud _ping_ from Tosh’s computer cut into the silence. “Oh!” She dragged her eyes from her readings to check the sidebar. “ _Oh!_ Jack – another person’s just been reported missing...” She smiled at his raised eyebrow, “I left a hook in their computers to alert me if anyone accessed the mainframe template for missing persons...”

“Clever...” Jack nodded approvingly, “Okay, what we got?” They clustered around Tosh’s work station as her fingers flew over the keyboard.

“Beryl Immell...52...last known movements, heading to Costco...her car’s still there in the car park – dark blue Micra...reported missing by her husband when she failed to return home to cook his dinner. He didn’t notice until he got home from the pub...hmmm, nice bloke!”

“Was there a blip any time in the last thirty six hours?” 

Gwen peered over Tosh’s shoulder, “Yes, ten past three yesterday afternoon...”

Ianto stepped to Gwen’s computer and tapped rapidly, “Let me tap into the CCTV around Costco... Tosh, have you got a picture of ‘Beryl’? Oh, nice hat! It’ll make her easier to spot if she’s wearing that!” 

“Here! I’ve got her pulling into the car park at 13:04 yesterday...” They moved to watch Beryl on Gwen’s screen, watching as she parked, collected a trolley and headed into the shop. Tosh stepped back to her own computer and searched rapidly for any transactions on any of Beryl’s cards.

“She paid for lunch in their cafe at 13:18 but nothing since... I’ll see if I can get into the Costco surveillance system...”

“She’s not come out yet and I’m almost at closing time...they close at nine pm...” Ianto paused, “What was the weather like yesterday?”

“What’s the bloody weather got to do with it, tea boy, or are you planning a picnic? Now really isn’t the time!” Owen was snarky, his previous good mood eroded with countless hours of tedium for no result.

“Not sure it’s got anything to do with this,” Ianto responded lightly, “but the cameras keep picking up some kind of swirling mist – like that really fine drizzle that soaks you to the skin without you realising...” 

_ Sweetheart, you got something? Ignore grumpy-pants over there! _

_Not sure...its movements look...I don’t know...too controlled to be natural..._ Ianto struggled to find the words, opting instead for images that he sent back, images of swarms of insects – moving in the air but with a purpose rather than aimless...

_ I hear you...let’s have a closer look – can you zoom in? _

_ The closer I get, the more like rain it looks...I’ve just got this feeling... _

“I’m in!” Tosh scrolled back through the in-store images.  Beryl trundled up and down the aisles with her trolley after enjoying a leisurely lunch of toasted teacake and a slice of Battenberg with a pot of tea in the cafe as she perused what appeared to be her shopping list.

“Oh this is simply riveting! If you don’t need me I’m going to autopsy that sloppy jellyfish thing from the other day...even entrails are better than this crap!”

Jack grinned at the grumpy medic, “You go and play, I’ll shout if we get anything...” He suppressed a chuckle at the affronted expression on Owen’s face, saving it until he was out of sight. _A man of action, our good doctor..._

_Moody bastard!_ Ianto’s thoughts resonated fondness despite his summation of his colleague’s character, drawing another chuckle from his Captain.

They turned their attention back to the screen as it approached three o’clock, not sure what to expect...

“Damn, the system’s developed a fault, the screen’s gone fuzzy and the time’s frozen...let me see if I can find another camera...”

“They’re all the same...bit of a co-incidence?” 

“In our line of work, we don’t _do_ co-incidence! Keep going, Tosh...”

The fuzzy screens suddenly cleared and the store appeared just as before, the time now showing 3:32 and Beryl had gone – there was no sign of her, or her shopping trolley and nobody seemed to have noticed anything.

“Okay, now we know _when_ she vanished, but we still don’t know _how_ or _why..._ ” Jack straightened up. “Ianto, with me, we’re going down there; Tosh, you and Gwen keep going through the CCTV – see if the other blip timeframes have similar ‘technical problems’ and see if you can spot any of our other missing people...” He grimaced, “One thing they all have in common – they all have to eat and for that they have to shop for groceries...keep us informed if you find anything – we’ll keep the comms open...just in case...”

“In case what?” Gwen looked puzzled.

“...In case...” Jack moved over towards the roller door where Ianto stood waiting with Jack’s coat, holding it out as the older man slid his arms into it, smoothing the heavy fabric down over his Captain’s shoulders in their intimate and familiar routine. Ianto paused briefly, resting his cheek against the harsh wool as he inhaled the reassuring scent of Jack’s fifty-first century pheromones and the warmth of his body as he pressed against it.

_ Ready, sweetheart? _

_ Yep! _

The roller door clunked into place behind them as they headed out to the SUV.

“I’m going to track them the whole time, don’t worry...” Tosh moved over to Gwen’s workstation and quickly set up the system to track the TW vehicle. “There, now we can follow them wherever they go...” She smiled at Gwen, “We’re not going to lose them – not on my watch!”

“I know...it’s just I can’t help...” she shook her head. “Okay, what can I do to help..?”

Tosh tore off a section of the rift printout. “This is the Costco security camera IP address and log-in codes. See if you can find the blips on the printout and match them to the time stamps from their store footage...”

Nodding, Gwen moved to Ianto’s computer and began tapping industriously.

“We’ve arrived; I’m going to scout around outside, Ianto’s going in to talk to the Manager and staff...”

“Be careful!” Tosh smiled as Jack snapped a smart salute, “Yes, ma’am!” knowing they’d be watching.

A brief stroke of his Welshman’s cheek with his thumb and a _be careful_ of his own, Jack and Ianto parted, one heading in through the automatic doors, the other striding purposefully around the perimeter of the store, coat billowing impressively in his wake. Tosh allowed herself a moment to note that even in the worst weather, like the current wind and rain, he never did his coat up!

Jack was approaching the end of his circuit around the building when the rain seemed to thicken, the clouds descending lower, almost engulfing the immediate store area in a thick, swirling mist, making it difficult to see where he was going...

“Jack...there’s a blip in the rift readings... _now...”_ Tosh’s anxious voice sounded in his ear, “Are you both okay? _Jack..?_ ”

  
  



	3. Ceremonies and souvenirs... Pt 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

>   A surge in the number of missing people prompts Torchwood to investigate... 

Title: Ceremonies and souvenirs... Pt 3  
Author: zazajb  
Rating: NC-17, adult concepts, occasional language, M/M  
Pairings/Characters: Jack/Ianto, team, Brychan, Ammeline  
Spoilers – none, set S2, AU  
Summary:  A surge in the number of missing people prompts Torchwood to investigate... 

Fic masterlist:  <http://zazajb.livejournal.com/6286.html>

Disclaimer: I own none of the characters – anything you recognise belongs to RTD & BBC, I’m just playing with them...  
Feature length episode of Captain Coat and Coffee Man written for the[](http://longliveianto.livejournal.com/profile)[ **longliveianto**](http://longliveianto.livejournal.com/)  big bang  [Remember when there’s anything above a PG rating that you’re getting Jack’s x-rated version!!!]   
X-posted to several comms [apologies to those getting this multiple times]

A/N Thanks to the wonderful talented and awesome [](http://totally4ryo.livejournal.com/profile)[**totally4ryo**](http://totally4ryo.livejournal.com/)  for her beautiful artwork*hugs* link to be added here:

As always, love, hugs and thanks for my beta the wonderful [](http://badly-knitted.livejournal.com/profile)[**badly_knitted**](http://badly-knitted.livejournal.com/)  *squishes you and bribes with strawberry laces*

[ ](http://pics.livejournal.com/zazajb/pic/0000kwr5/)

Ceremonies and Souvenirs   
  


  
  


Part 3

“Ianto?” A cold feeling of dread washed over him, “Ianto... **Ianto?** ” As he struggled towards the front doors he became aware that the swirling mist cloud had now totally covered the outside of the building and was forming an impenetrable barrier. Jack fought against the thickening cloud, gasping as the cold enveloped him and burrowed through to his very core, slowly but surely driving the life out of him...

“Tosh...” he rasped, the word barely audible. He opened his mouth to repeat the call as she sounded frantically in his ear but no sound came out and he knew he was dying. In his head he heard Ianto’s thoughts, hushed and slow like he was forming them against extreme resistance, _C-a-r-i-a-d...d-o-n-’-t    k-n-o-w   i-f   y-o-u   c-a-n   h-e-a-r   m-e..._ the link faded, Jack wasn’t sure if the interference was targeting him or Ianto but he redoubled his efforts to maintain their connection.

_ I’m here, sweetheart...hold on...for me...fight it... _

_ T-h-e   r-a-i-n   i-s   t-a-k-i-n-g   p-e-o-p-l-e   a-s   s-o-u-v-e-n-i-r-s...f-r-e-e-z-e   t-h-e-m...t-a-k-e   w-h-a-t   t-h-e-y   w-a-n-t...s-o-o-o-o-o-o-o   c-o-l-d...I   l-o-v-e   y-o-u   J-a-c-k...a-l-w-a-y-s  a-l... _

The connection was gone and Jack slumped to the floor as his head screamed through a fog in a desperate attempt to repair the void left behind...

As his life force ebbed away and the blackness approached, Jack heard the aliens laughing... _sssilly lllitttle hhhumaans...sssssuch pppretty dddecorations...yyyour mmmate iiis nnnow ooours..._ the sounds swirling like the rain on the wind... His eyes rolled in his head. Jack died, Ianto’s name on his lips.

“Faster, put your fucking foot down! You should’ve let me drive...Jack and Ianto could be dead – or worse...”

“Owen, please...just focus on what to do when we get there and let Gwen drive...” They hung on as Gwen threw Ianto’s Audi around a tight corner, the tyres screeching in protest as the car lurched violently in an attempt to retain its grip on the tarmac.

“Okay, I take it back! Try not to fucking kill us before we get there!”

“Jack...Ianto...can you hear me?” Tosh tried again, getting nothing but silence against the background hiss.

“Nothing! Shit! Have you managed to analyse the makeup of that sodding cloud? We’ve got nothing...” Owen pinched the bridge of his nose, brow furrowed in frustrated thought – something was floating just out of reach in his head, if only he could reach it... He slumped back against the seat, frowning.

Tosh tapped frantically, first on her PDA, moving to the tablet Ianto always kept in the car. “They’re blocking us somehow, everything I do is reflected back at me... _they know we’re coming...”_

“We’re here...now let’s sort these bastards...” Gwen dragged roughly on the wheel to send them careering into the car park, screeching to a halt in front of the store.

They piled out, mouths dropping open...

“Oi, you can’t leave that there!” A uniformed security guard scowled at Gwen and pointed at the car. 

Dragging their IDs out of their pockets they turned on him as one, growling fiercely despite their shock and disbelief. “Special Ops...”   Shrugging, the man returned to his post just inside the store entrance.

“What the hell is going on here? Where’s the alien? Where’s Jack?” Gwen voiced their confusion as they stared nonplussed at the apparently alien-rain-cloud-free facade with people moving unhindered through the doors, a cheerful array of different coloured umbrellas...

Tosh scanned the area, frowning at the results. “It’s real, not a hologram...I don’t understand...” 

Gwen marched towards the store entrance, Owen hurriedly dragging her back. “Don’t be stupid! This could be a trap – remember they _knew_ we were coming!”

Gwen shrugged his hand off her arm. “Jack...can you hear me? Are you in there?”

Tosh joined them just in front of the doors and the three of them peered into the brightly lit interior, bewildered and anxious, but fiercely determined to solve the puzzle and retrieve their missing friends.

As the security guard showed signs of approaching them again, they retreated to the Audi and huddled inside it to consider their next step.

Tosh and Gwen sat in the back, their heads together over Tosh’s PDA and the tablet. Owen sat in the front passenger seat and listened to them mooting strategy after strategy, rejecting each of them in turn. His mind drifting, Owen gradually became aware of a tiny voice whispering on the edge of his consciousness – it was faint yet somehow familiar and he closed his eyes in an attempt to chase the sound _e-l-e-c-t-r-o...m-a-g   p-u-l-s-e...d-o   i-t   n-o-w._

Gwen shook the back of his seat. “Owen? You still with us? What do you think of...” 

“Electro mag pulse,” he interrupted her as he repeated the message that was echoing over and over in his head, his voice low and intense.

“What? Owen?” Tosh leant forward, a sudden gleam in her eye. “Did you say electro magnetic pulse? That’s inspired! What made you think of that?”

“ _Tea boy...in my head...somehow...don’t know...”_   He opened his eyes and blinked at them, somewhat dazed as the voice faded. 

“I don’t know how he did it, but that doesn’t matter...right, I think we can do this...” Tosh tapped excitedly, hopping from PDA to tablet and the screen was filled rapidly with equations and strange concentric lines. “Owen, you’re brilliant!” She grabbed the lapels of his still damp coat and hauled him through the gap in the seats to plant a hard, fast kiss on his lips. “Look...” She indicated her calculations, “If we fire a one second burst at the store it’ll rebound just like all our scans...that’ll give me the frequency they’re using and then reversing the polarity for a concentrated pulse _should_ let us see just _what_ these things are and hopefully lock on to Jack and Ianto’s bio readings as they should be the only humans...”

“Do it!” In his head Owen sensed Ianto on the fringes of his consciousness and was reassured – this was the right thing to do. 

They looked at each other, Tosh nodding resolutely as she pressed the _send_ button.

For a moment nothing happened, then the whole area exploded into a fantastic light display worthy of the _aurora borealis_ for a fraction of a second, the light refracting off the raindrops into a million tiny rainbows - and then it was gone. Tosh grinned wickedly as her fingers flew over the controls of the tablet “Gotcha!” she murmured with grim satisfaction. 

They scrambled out of the car, weapons at the ready, hidden under their coats. “Ready?” 

Gwen tightened her grip on the handle of her gun. “Let’s do it!”

The sky shimmered briefly and there was a crack like a pistol shot as the minute time shift hiding the hijacked building dissolved. Horror mixed with relief flooded their rain-splattered faces as they saw Jack struggling against the cloud as he inched closer to the door. As they watched he managed to get his other hand to his wrist strap and a bolt of plasma cut him a path through the tangled bonds that had held him captive since he’d gasped back into life. He fell through the doors which closed behind him.

“Jack... _Jack,_ are you okay? Can you hear me?”

“I hear you, Gwen. Good work out there  – whatever you did distracted them enough to let me blast my way through...can you stand by to do it again in case I have any trouble…?” He paused, his voice hitching, “They’ve got Ianto, he’s been frozen somehow but he was able to get a message to me. These _things_ , whatever they are, have been coming through the rift at will, having some sort of _holiday_ and then been choosing people from Costco to take home as bloody souvenirs...” 

Taking a breath, Jack’s voice took on the steely tone they recognised as their Captain at his most dangerous, the tone that accompanied action in defence of those he loved best. “Well I’m here to get them back... _all of them..._ so they’d better be prepared..!”

A vaguely human shaped cloud mass descended into his path. _Hhhuman wwwill nnnot pppass. Yyyou wwwill bbbe dddestroyed..._

“Try me!” Jack snarled, moving forward as he spotted his beloved Welshman at the end of the aisle next to a bespectacled, portly man he assumed was the manager. Both were motionless. _Hold on sweetheart, I’m coming to get you..._

The cloud thickened and another formed behind him, effectively blocking him in. “ _Now,_ Tosh...”

The clouds shuddered and dissipated as Tosh’s second reverse pulse targeted the store. With a burst of speed, Jack raced to Ianto’s side and ran his hands over the still form, checking for injuries. Ianto was uninjured – just frozen in time.

_Hhhe iiis lllost ttto yyyou..._ The cloud had reformed and was surrounding him. 

Ignoring it, Jack pressed a soft kiss to Ianto’s icy lips, jumping as they moved minutely against his own _a-m   s-t-i-l-l   h-e-r-e   c-a-r-i-a-d...p-u-l-s-e   i-n-v-e-r-s-e   s-q-u-a-r-e-   l-a-w   t-o   d-i-s-a-b-l-e   t-h-e-m..._ The tears leapt unbidden into Jack’s eyes and he repeated the kiss, pouring his love and devotion into it as he sent a stream of precious shared memories into Ianto’s head.

Pulling back from Ianto’s mouth, he turned to face the cloud swarm. “Tosh, Ianto has suggested an inverse square law pulse might disable them. Is that even remotely possible with what we’ve got here?”

“Not with what I’ve got here. Where’s the SUV? I can use the equipment in that.” 

“In the loading bay around the back...be careful moving that close to the building, let me know when you’re ready...”

“Gwen and I are moving now...” Owen’s voice was muted, his mood sombre, feeling Ianto’s increasing desperation as he remained frozen and helpless. “Hang on in there, tea boy...” he muttered, almost to himself. A brief sense of hope brushed the edge of his consciousness and it added to his determination to see these beings sent from the planet for good.

The rain lashed down on them as they made their way around the edge of the building, keeping a very close watch on the dense clouds that they now recognised as the creatures, and feeling very exposed when they finally reached the loading bay and moved towards it without the protective cover of the shop walls.

Sliding into the driving seat, Owen fired the engine and reversed quickly out of the bay, swinging into a fast one eighty turn before accelerating away back to join the Audi. Once positioned behind Ianto’s car, Tosh climbed in and immediately joined Gwen on the computers in the back. In a little under ten minutes they were set. “Jack, we’re ready...”

Jack had stood resolutely in front of the cloud, sensing a growing confusion from them at his refusal to back down. Staring into the swirling mass he hoped the stand-off would last long enough...

He almost sighed with relief at Tosh’s quiet words in his ear and drove his hands firmly into his pockets as he prepared to get his Welshman and the other victims back – by negotiation if possible, but he had no qualms about destroying these beings if they failed to co-operate. “You need to listen carefully. My name is Captain Jack Harkness and we are Torchwood. We protect this planet and its people from creatures like you. Right now we have a weapon that will destroy you aimed at this store and I will not hesitate to use it if you do not release those you have taken here and return those taken before. People are not trinkets for you to display, they are living, breathing beings...”

_ Nnno...wwwe wwwill nnnot rrrelease ooour ppprizes...yyyou cccannot kkkill uuus wwwithout kkkilling yyyourself aaand yyyour mmmate... _

“We are immortal – we cannot stay dead and you would be foolish to refuse...Tosh, a one second burst please...”

The building trembled and an eerie blue light flashed, the swarm scattering as they tried to flee its sting.

“You get one warning – that was it. Release these people and return those taken before or I _will_ destroy you.”

The silence was deafening as he watched the swarm swirling angrily above him. He forced himself to remain still until finally they responded.

_ Wwwe wwwill cccomply.  _

“Jack? We’ve had an idea that might be a workable compromise – we’ve commandeered a number of shop mannequins from various places if they’ll help?”

“Great idea, Gwen, can you bring them in, say just inside the door – I think it’s safe now.”

“Actually it was Owen’s idea...we’ll bring them now.”

“Drop them off and get back to Tosh – I’m not lowering our guard until they’ve gone for good.”

Twenty eight shop dummies were swiftly deposited just inside the store doors, their attire ranging from scant beach wear to full three piece suits and one in a complete bridal outfit. They made a colourful array and Jack knew instantly that the gesture would ensure a peaceful and lasting solution.

“We offer these statues in place of our taken humans. Release them now, take your replacements and go, never to return. This is not a suitable planet for your needs. Is that understood?”

_ IIIt iiis uuunderstood...  _

Jack swung back to Ianto, his eyes fixed on his beloved Welshman’s face, relief washing over him as two warm arms flung themselves around his neck and his lips were claimed in a hungry kiss that tasted among the sweetest he’d ever had, their thoughts swirling joyously at their reunion.

Breaking apart, they grinned at the bemused store manager who was staring at them open mouthed. “You were saying there might be a problem, Mr Jones..?”

“Um, I think it’s been sorted out now...right, Jack?”

“Right, thank you for your help, Mr...” He peered at the man’s name, suppressing an involuntary chuckle as he read the badge on his pocket, “Mr Storm...”

They strolled around the store, hand in hand, unwilling to relinquish the reassuring physical touch. Faces they passed were recognised and matched to the list in Ianto’s head. All the missing people had been returned, all pushing their trolleys or carrying baskets around with no knowledge of their time spent frozen on alien worlds.

_ Ready to go home? _

_ Yes please... _

“Start your engines, kids, we’re done here, time to go home...”

The squeals over their headsets hurt their ears but they grinned, walking outside to be hugged tightly all round. Owen insisted on checking Ianto’s vitals before he moved any further. Passed as fit for duty, they piled into the cars; Gwen drove the SUV with Tosh and Owen in the back, Ianto took himself and Jack in the Audi.

Once they were back at the hub they scattered to their different tasks while Ianto made coffee. Jack went to his office, hung his coat up and made his way to the kitchen, the door crashing open to bounce closed again from the force of its collision with the worktop. He flung himself into the waiting arms of his Welshman, their lips meeting in a hot, hard kiss, tongues tangling with delicious familiarity as they swept the contours of each other’s mouths while bodies pressed together, passions rising, thoughts tumbling, wild and steamy... Coffee production was temporarily placed on hiatus! 

The door pushed open. “Jack..?” Tosh laughed, “Déjà vu! But no chocolate sprinkles this time?”

Arms still wrapped tightly around each other, the two men grinned breathlessly at her, “Not got them back from last time!” Ianto arched an eyebrow at his Captain who untangled one arm and groped in his trouser pocket, bringing out the aforementioned sprinkles pot.

“I think that means...” He slid his hand with the pot still clutched in it behind Ianto’s head to capture his lips once more and they sank back into sweet and endless kisses.

Tosh shook her head. “We’ll be in the boardroom when you’re ready!” She backed out and re-closed the door, chuckling fondly as she made her way to join Gwen and Owen.

It was a good ten minutes before Jack and Ianto joined the others, both men looking rather crumpled, with flushed faces and kiss swollen lips, but there was no mistaking the sparkle in their eyes as they sat down after the coffee had been handed around.

“Okay, update please, Tosh...”

“I’ve updated our database to add these creatures, Ianto says they’re called _Eekna’sth_...or that’s as close as we can get to a pronunciation anyway! There’s an alert set up now so the rift will recognise them if they try and sneak back in and I’ve planted the story of a methane-type gas leak from the nearby roadworks which gave people a temporary amnesia and all they could remember was wanting to go and finish their grocery shopping...”

“Nice work...” Jack nodded approvingly. “Gwen?”

“I tipped Andy off about the return of our missing people and he’s currently soaking up a mass of approval from the powers-that-be for giving so many of our local citizens a happy home-coming. I think he might even have forgiven us for landing him with the bill when we ran out on him! Nobody seems to have suffered any ill effects and no-one remembers what happened so the amnesia story fits...”

“Happy endings all round then! Owen, you’re quiet...” Jack looked at an unusually subdued medic.

Owen tapped his temple. “I want to know how tea boy was able to get inside my head...” He turned to whisper beseechingly to Ianto, “You _were_ inside my head, right?”

Ianto nodded, “Jack was dead and I had no way of knowing if he was in contact with you all outside. When they froze us my psychic link with Jack was still active and although it was like running through porridge, I could still think. With everything else in my body effectively offline, my mind clung on to every link it could find and no-one was more surprised than me to find myself with a direct line into our good doctor...” Ianto paused, unsure of how to explain the amazement he’d felt when he’d recognised Owen’s presence in his head.

Jack was so intrigued he bypassed the opportunity for a bit of smutty innuendo, merely allowing himself a tiny smirk and a supportive _You okay?_ as Ianto floundered for the right words.

“I think it goes back to that night when we body swapped after that electro-magnetic alien knocked me out...when I became immortal...” He locked gazes with Owen, “We swapped bodies and I think a tiny link was made then, we never realised or used it so it lay dormant and it was probably the fact that the rest of me was frozen so my mind was searching for a way out...” 

Owen nodded his understanding and looked relieved as Ianto continued, “If you don’t mind though, I won’t be swapping recipes or anything – it’s crowded enough in there already with Jack and me – it’s just like in bed...”

“Whoa! Not the kind of details we want to hear!” Owen was immediately restored to his acerbic self, the laughter ringing out as Jack and Ianto clocked the looks of disappointment on the girls’ faces!

“Okay, any other issues from today we need to discuss?” Jack looked around the table as they shook their heads. “So, thank you all for what you did, now get yourselves off home, I think we’ve earned a break...as he streamed a reminder of silk ties, wrists and bedposts into Ianto’s mind.

The hub was soon deserted as Gwen, Tosh and Owen gathered their coats and fled before the rift could change Jack’s mind. Left alone, Jack folded Ianto into his arms and kissed him softly, _You okay, sweetheart? Been a bit of a rough day all round..._

_ I’m fine, cariad...really...although being inside Owen’s head is going to take a bit of getting over! _

_ But just think of the fun we can have winding him up! _

Ianto laughed and moved a hand to loosen his tie, pulling the knot free and tugging the strip of silk from his collar. Jack’s grin widened as the Welshman grabbed his wrist and tied the end around it, reaching for the other hand to wrap the tie around it and secure it to his other wrist. With Jack now suitably held captive, Ianto crushed their lips together, driving his tongue into the other man’s mouth as Jack opened it to let out a low moan of longing. Their bodies pressed close as they ground their hips together and blood supplies charged southwards, thoughts hot and wanton rushing through super-charged synapses. 

Chuckling, Ianto pulled back and stepped away from the heat of Jack’s body, his grin widening as a needy whimper fell from between his Captain’s lips, and he led them away to Jack’s bunker to thoroughly love away the bad memories of the day...

Ianto looked out over his audience “...and that’s how Captain Coat and Coffee Man and their team defeated the ‘storm swarm,’ saved the missing people and sent the aliens home with shop dummies instead as their souvenirs...” He grinned at the deafening applause and winked at Jacqui who was now leaning against Adam, his arm around her and her head on his shoulder. She smiled back, blushing lightly as Adam whispered in her ear.

Karen held her hand up for quiet so she could announce the winner of the previous week’s drawing competition, handing a delighted – and very aptly named Skye – her book voucher for a marvellous New York skyline with robot and socks. “Well done, Skye and get your pictures of Captain Coat and Coffee Man for this week’s story in before Saturday. Let’s say a huge thank you to Mr Harkness-Jones as always for another exciting advent...” The children’s cheers drowned her out and the adults grinned at their enthusiasm. 

The crowd began to filter out of the children’s area. Ianto was surrounded as always by a small crowd of children wanting him to sign their pictures and cards which he did with a **_Captain Coat & Coffee Man_**flourish.

Jack and Amme moved over to join Jacqui and Adam as Euan and Bry excitedly explained their endless ongoing game of superheroes to Adam, the young man gamefully nodding and gasping in all the right places. 

“We were thinking of taking the kids to Pizza Hut for lunch today, if you’d like some time to yourself...” Jack nudged Jacqui and waggled his eyebrows suggestively, drawing a soft blush to her cheeks as she glanced at Adam who was knelt down listening to the now serious description of superhero responsibilities. “You had them all night so you’ve definitely earned a free pass!”

“I don’t know what Adam’s doing...” 

He looked up at his name, “What’s up, Jay?”

“Jack and Ianto are going to take the kids to Pizza Hut for lunch...”

“Cool! We going? I love Pizza Hut!” He leapt to his feet, ruffling both boys’ hair, before draping his arm back around her shoulders.

Jacqui beamed at Jack, “Count us in!”

_ Ready for lunch with the brood and Jacqui and her new man? Can’t wait to find out his inside leg measurement! _

_ You’re so bad! Be right with you, cariad... _

It was a lively group who piled into the restaurant and were shown to a large booth at the back. As they all slid into their seats, Ianto grinned as Jack checked out the view of Adam’s black denim-clad backside. He was definitely cute! They settled in and ordered drinks as they studied the menu, deciding on a selection to share. 

The boys resumed their discussion of superheroes and Amme immersed herself in the colouring sheet and crayons their waitress had handed out to the three children. The adults chatted about the success of storytime and moved on to their favourite children’s books, a lively debate developing on the best of the Harry Potter stories with much accompanying laughter.

Once their pizzas arrived and everyone was eating, Jack watched as Adam offered Jacqui a bite of his slice of barbeque chicken. “So how did you two meet?”

Adam grinned at Jacqui, “You want to or shall I?”

“You can...” she smiled dreamily.

_ Our Jacqueline is smitten! _

_I’m not surprised – he’s gorgeous!_ Jack sent a frank appreciation of his in depth study of Adam from earlier in the library, while they’d been waiting for Ianto to finish signing. _Obviously, not as gorgeous as you!_ he added with a cheeky wink.

“I was just taking a client’s payment and booking their next appointment when a rather nervous and lovely lady came into my studio. She looked a bit lost so I asked if I could help and she said she wanted a tattoo but didn’t have a clue what design or where she wanted it... We sat down on the sofa with some design catalogues to look through but kept getting interrupted by the phone and customers, so we grabbed the books and went next door to Monkey’s coffee shop for a bit of peace...

We didn’t get far talking about the tat design as we got chatting about a hundred and one other things so I invited her to dinner to continue the discussion...”

“Ahhh, so that was the mysterious outing you had the other week!” Ianto nudged Jacqui with a grin, “I’m not surprised you wanted to keep him a secret – Jack and I both think he’s a hunk!”

“Oi, hands off, boys, he’s mine!” She blushed scarlet and buried her face in her hands, “Did I just say that out loud? Damn!” she mumbled into her hands.

Adam tugged her hands away and tipped her face up to look at him, his blue eyes twinkling as he smiled at her, a delighted smile that lit his face up and she visibly melted as he kissed her lightly.

“Don’t worry, I’m definitely yours!”

“Ewww, mum! Do you have to?” Euan rolled his eyes at Bry, “I know what you mean now – grown ups do far too much kissing!”

Laughter rang out around the table and both lunch and conversation continued into the afternoon. When they finally left, Euan joined Jack, Ianto, Bry and Amme in the SUV as they headed home. Jacqui was going to spend the rest of the afternoon with Adam before going to watch him perform with his band at one of the larger nightclubs in Cardiff. 

“We’re called Voodoo Nation and we do Glam-rock stuff - it’s a mix of rock and pop...it’s amazing fun...” he explained as they made their way back to their vehicles. “If Jacqui survives the experience you’ll have to come to our next one in a couple of weeks...”

“Agreed! We’d like that.” Jack winked at Adam, “Bet you look hot in your stage gear – all that black leather..!”

 “Damn hot!” Adam grinned mischievously, giving Jack a sultry look with a provocative arch of an eyebrow, “it clings in all the right places..!”

They laughed as Jack pretended to swoon, slumping against the SUV, before the two cars headed for home...

The following day, Jacqui and Adam came to collect Euan, enthusing loudly about the previous night’s gig and a date was set for the four of them to go out after Bry and Amme’s ceremony...

The next week flew by as preparations for the Care and Protect ceremony progressed. Jacqui, Tosh and Owen had a rehearsal on the Thursday followed by a fun dinner which Adam joined them for and the three couples laughed long into the evening.

Friday flew by and it was four o’clock before they had a chance to blink. Jack was overseeing Bry’s preparations while Ianto dressed Amme in her favourite pale lemon dress with a soft white cardigan and a lemon ribbon in her blonde curls. _Dagga_ had a matching ribbon around his neck for the occasion, Amme watching approvingly as Ianto tied the bow neatly. 

They all met on the landing, Jack and Ianto both blinking back sudden tears at the sight of their children as Bry took his sister’s hand, “Are you ready, Amme?” The little girl nodded solemnly and looked at her parents, holding out her other hand, “Come Tadda, Dadda...”

_ I’m so proud of our beautiful children...thank you, cariad for making me so happy... _

Jack caressed the emotion-filled images of their family, weaving his own undying love through them as he sent them back to his beloved Welshman’s head, _Love you all so much..._

Bry led the way downstairs, resplendent in a smart navy suit with lemon shirt to match his sister’s dress. They picked up the bag with the gifts and made their way out to the SUV. They were greeted by the Minister on their arrival to the suite at the St David’s Hotel where the ceremony and reception were taking place. She smiled, “My don’t you all look wonderful!” She winked at Amme who was in Ianto’s arms, “You have three very handsome men there, Ammeline!”

Amme giggled and curled her fingers tighter into her Tad’s hair, hiding her face shyly as she nodded. The Minister chuckled, “Your special guests are here – we’ve just poured tea if you want some...”

“Wow! You look amazing!” Jacqui hugged Jack and took Amme from Ianto as the little girl held her arms out, “Aunta Jaja...”

With Amme settled on her hip, Jacqui grinned as Adam joined her and very obviously checked out the two men. Jack wore his wedding suit, a dark blue three piece, palest blue shirt and deep blue tie accentuating the blue of his eyes, the pocket watch Ianto had given him as a wedding present carefully tucked in his waistcoat pocket. 

Ianto looked resplendent in his favourite charcoal suit and deep purple Swiss cotton shirt with a red tie in a perfect knot at his throat, a matching red hanky peeking out of the pocket of his waistcoat. He chuckled as Adam circled Jack, finally smacking him lightly on the backside as he declared the pair of them a vision of hotness!

Pulling his camera from his jacket pocket, Ianto waved Jacqui and Adam together and took a couple of pictures, deciding that they made a really cute couple with Jacqui’s short blonde hair and deep red, simple belted dress set off perfectly by Adam’s jet black hair, black suit, charcoal shirt and black tie. It was a striking partnership and they were obviously enjoying themselves as they struck fun pose after pose, finishing with the traditional High School prom pose, both laughing helplessly. 

Ianto called Euan over and took a series of pictures of him and his mum, plus a few with Adam as a family group, _Now there’s a thought, sweetheart..._ Jack’s thoughts echoed his own.

Adam hijacked his camera and took some pictures of the children with Jacqui, of Jack and Ianto alone, then with their children, some of the children on their own and generally clicked away happily at everything that moved, much to Owen’s disapproval as he was chivvied into position for a group picture.

With the rest of their guests now having arrived, the Minister called them to the front where the chairs were set out in a horseshoe, welcoming and including as laid down by Boeshane tradition. Everyone sat down for the welcome.

“Good afternoon, everyone. We are here today to see the _Care and Protect Naming_ of Jack and Ianto’s children which will be followed by a renewal of vows. On behalf of Jack, Ianto and their family, may I thank you for coming and for sharing in this very special occasion with them...”

She nodded at the front row of seats and Jack, Ianto, Bry and Amme stood up, moving to the side where two chairs sat waiting. They stood one on either side of their children, Bry and Amme holding hands, Jack holding Bry’s hand and Ianto holding Amme’s.

The Minister smiled at them warmly, “Brychan, Ammeline, the floor is yours...” She moved away to the opposite side and sat down as Bry squeezed his sister’s hand lightly and whispered in her ear. Jack and Ianto released their children’s hands and stepped back to sit on the two chairs, linking their own fingers as lumps formed in their throats.

Bry approached the front and pointed at Jacqui. “Will you be mine and Amme’s _Esterni?_ Will you care and protect us if we are left without a parent? This is a life-long commitment.”

Brushing away a tear, Jacqui nodded, “It would be my honour to accept.” She stood up and moved to the tall table. Bry and Amme moved along to stop in front of Tosh and Owen, “Will you be mine and Amme’s _Zweiterni?_ Will you care and protect us if we are left without parent or _Esterni?_ This is a life-long commitment.”

“We are honoured to accept.” They joined Jacqui at the table. The Minister stood up and carried the large candle from the small altar beside her. Kneeling, Jacqui took Bry’s and Amme’s hands.

The Minister placed one hand on Jacqui’s head and one on Bry’s. “I name you Jacqueline, _Esterni_ for Brychan Harkness Jones...”

“I give you my promise...” Jacqui smiled.

The Minister moved her hand from Bry’s head to Amme’s. “I name you Jacqueline, _Esterni_ for Ammeline Harkness-Jones...”

“I give you my promise...”

“Thank you, aunta Jaja!” The adults chuckled as Jacqui stood and picked up two small candles, lighting them from the large one in the centre of the table. She handed one candle to Bry and the other to Amme.

“These flames will serve as a symbol of my promise to care for and protect you always...”

The children nodded solemnly and set them in the holders the Minister held out. Placing the holders back on the table she moved to repeat the naming with first Tosh and then Owen. Finally, the three adults moved to stand behind the children who now faced the audience..

“Thank you for being witness to our _Care and Protect Naming_ ceremony...” Bry squeezed Amme’s hand “...now!” he said softly

“Thank you lots!” Amme declared loudly as the assembled audience stood and clapped, many surreptitiously wiping away tears, Jack and Ianto crying openly as their children flung themselves into their parents’ arms to be hugged tightly.

“Thank you, children, for such a beautiful ceremony. If I could ask everyone to retake their seats and we’ll move on to the renewal of vows. This is a traditional feature at a naming ceremony as it’s a reminder of the lasting promise, not only to love and nurture your children, but to love and appreciate each other. 

Jack and Ianto have written these words together and have recently celebrated their tenth anniversary. Gentlemen...”

Standing, Jack and Ianto moved to the centre and faced each other, linking hands. _Love you, Ianto and I’m so proud of our beautiful children..._

_ Love you too, cariad and our amazing offspring... _

“In the tradition of Boeshane, I take your hands in truth and love, to renew my promise of the Seasons of the Eternal circle, to share new seasons and new life with you, my Ianto, my life partner, wherever that road leads us...shared joy and pain, but always shared love...I give myself to you...”

Ianto smiled, that tiny intimate smile usually reserved for when he and Jack were alone. “I take your hands in truth and love. Many turns of the seasons have elapsed since we first made our vows, I renew my promise to you, one life to share – all the time we have, I am yours, my heart, my soul...my life...”

Shared emotions tumbled back and forth, passion and love blazing from twin pools of blue as they gazed into each other’s eyes.

The Minister moved to stand behind them, facing their audience. “Jack, Ianto, you have both renewed your promises and life-long vows with your family and friends as witnesses. Please kiss to bond these promises...” she paused as the two men leant forward, their lips meeting in a tender kiss, “and many congratulations...” joining the audience in their enthusiastic applause.

They were surrounded by their close friends and family, hugs and kisses on all sides as they moved to the other end of the suite where cosy chairs and small tables were set out and a long table groaned under the weight of a wonderful array of food and drink. Adam hoisted Amme up onto his shoulders where she shook hands with everyone who came near, giggling merrily.

Bry appeared at Jacqui’s side. “This is for you...” He handed her a silver gift bag, accepted a kiss on the cheek and vanished, the ever faithful Euan by his side as they wove their way through the throng to stop in front of Tosh and Owen. “This is for you...” this time receiving a hug from Tosh and a friendly ruffle of his hair from Owen. 

Tosh and Jacqui opened their parcels to find a crystal cube containing a 3D image of Bry and Amme, the words _With love_ and the date engraved on the bottom, both exclaiming in tandem at how beautiful the gifts were. Jack appeared beside Tosh and Ianto beside Jacqui to hand the ladies a massive bouquet of flowers and claim a hug and a kiss. 

Owen grinned and held out his hand, “I’ll settle for a handshake if it’s okay with you!” the comment drawing fond laughter from his Captain as his hand was taken before he was hauled in for a hug.

“No snog then?”

“No way! Go find tea boy for that!”

_ What a good idea...meet me in the alcove in two minutes... _

_ On my way... _

Working their way around their guests, they snuck away to the alcove by the balcony, falling into each other’s arms as their mouths met in a hungry kiss, hands threading lovingly through hair and tugging on hips as they pressed their bodies closer...

A camera flash made them jump, pulling apart briefly to gaze at Adam who was still making merry with Ianto’s camera. “Jacqui said you’d find a way to sneak off..!” he chuckled, “Gotta have photographic evidence of the whole day so get back to it!”

They grinned and sank back into sweet and endless kisses with Adam taking a few more shots before he leant forward and pressed a kiss to both of their cheeks and left them to it, rejoining Jacqui and the children as they relaxed at one of the tables.

In the alcove, Jack and Ianto each lost themselves in the other, revelling in the feel of soft lips moving sweetly against their own, tongues enjoying a seductive slow dance as they twirled and their kiss deepened as their thoughts merged joyously...

_ I love you, Ianto Harkness-Jones _

_ Always, cariad...always... _

Across the suite, the party continued...

End

CC&CM will continue in the next prompt

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reposted from my LJ


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